Spencer Howard Signs With NPB’s Yomiuri Giants

Former top MLB pitching prospect Spencer Howard is heading back to Japan. He’s agreed to a deal with the storied Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball.

After a roller-coaster journey marked by big expectations, injuries, and flashes of excellence, Howard’s move feels like both a fresh start and a chance to keep his international comeback going.

Spencer Howard Finds a New Home with the Yomiuri Giants

The Yomiuri Giants just added another notable foreign arm to their roster, signing right-hander Spencer Howard for the upcoming NPB season. Howard already pitched in Japan during the 2025 season with the Rakuten Eagles.

Injuries limited his time, but he still showed flashes of the promise that once made him a top prospect. In nine starts for Rakuten, Howard put up a sharp 2.22 ERA across 48 2/3 innings.

He consistently missed bats and showed the raw stuff scouts loved earlier in his career. The Giants’ front office clearly noticed, bringing him aboard just days after signing former Boston Red Sox infielder Bobby Dalbec.

A Strategic Foreign Addition

Howard is now the Giants’ second foreign acquisition in 10 days. That’s a clear sign the franchise is aggressively targeting international talent to boost its roster.

For a club chasing a championship, adding an experienced arm who already knows Japanese baseball brings both upside and a bit of steadiness.

From Elite Prospect to MLB Struggles

Howard’s name once topped prospect lists across the league. In 2021, he was ranked No. 1 in the Phillies’ system by both FanGraphs and MLB.com.

His electric fastball and swing-and-miss secondary pitches made him a hot commodity. He debuted briefly during the shortened 2020 COVID season and followed that with 11 MLB appearances in 2021.

His 24.4% strikeout rate hinted at frontline potential, but command issues kept getting in the way. A 13.4% walk rate led to a 5.72 ERA and some pretty inconsistent results.

The Trade That Changed His Trajectory

At the 2021 trade deadline, Philadelphia traded Howard to the Texas Rangers in a package with veterans Ian Kennedy and Kyle Gibson. The move aimed to help both clubs, but injuries quickly derailed Howard’s shot at establishing himself in Texas.

Injuries and Inconsistency Define His MLB Tenure

From 2021 through 2023, Howard logged just 62 2/3 innings for the Rangers. Across 21 appearances, he struggled badly, posting a cumulative 8.37 ERA.

Health setbacks and changing mechanics kept him from finding any real consistency. He bounced around after that, spending time with the Yankees, Giants, and Guardians organizations, but never quite broke through.

In total, Howard appeared in 144 MLB innings and finished with a 7.00 career ERA.

A Deeper Look at the Numbers

While the surface stats are rough, advanced metrics paint a slightly different picture. Howard’s 4.77 SIERA suggests his underlying performance was more respectable than his ERA showed.

That kind of number makes you think—maybe the talent’s still there, just waiting for the right situation.

Japan Provides a Career Revival

Howard made a bold move by joining NPB, and honestly, it’s given his career a jolt. He’s battled health issues for a while, but his run with Rakuten showed he can still hang in a tough league.

Key benefits of his NPB stint include:

Will Spencer Howard ever pitch in the majors again? Who knows. But with the Yomiuri Giants signing him, his journey’s definitely not done yet. For now, Japan feels like the right place for a pitcher who’s still got something to prove.

 
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